Nobody likes getting stung by a bee, wasp or hornet, but for many of us, the risk is far greater than just temporary swelling, inflammation and pain.
“Most of the time, the swelling is going to be less than (the size of) the palm of your hand,” allergist Troy Baker of Kaiser Permanente said. “That’s what should be a normal response.”
Being allergic to stinging insects is a far more serious problem.
“If you take everyone in America, 5% of us are allergic to stinging insects,” Baker said. “We do not know why people become allergic to stinging insects, but when you’re stung, your immune system recognizes that as an enemy, so it causes a more systemic reaction in your body.”
Most people don’t realize they are allergic to insect stings until it happens to them, he said.
“That can look like you get hives all over, and you start to have swelling that’s away from the sting site,” he said.
“Worse, you can have trouble breathing, dizziness, light-headedness,” Baker said. “In rare cases, you can pass out and even die from an insect sting.”
A fatal insect sting is incredibly rare, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The CDC reports only 72 people on average die (from stings) per year,” Baker said.
Emergency care is required for a person experiencing their first allergic reaction to an insect sting.
“If you know you’re allergic to insect stings, it’s important that you carry an epinephrine auto injector,” commonly known as an EpiPen, Baker said.
EpiPens inject adrenaline into muscle, “and that large muscle will quickly distribute adrenaline throughout your whole body, and that will take about three minutes. It’s much quicker than oral medications,” Baker said.
He said the adrenaline increases blood flow to the heart and brain, and counteracts the allergic reaction that a patient is experiencing.
Becoming ‘un-allergic’ to insect stings
Baker said there are different immunotherapy protocols to help reduce or eliminate a patient’s risk of having an allergic reaction. He said the risk of future allergic reactions can drop from 50-70% down to 2%.
In a faster method, “You go through a series of shots over one or two days, and then after that, you just need a shot once a month to keep your allergy away,” Baker said.
In a more gradual desensitization program, “It takes four to six months of weekly shots. And then after that, you still have to come once a month for about five years.”
Obviously, preventing getting stung is preferable.
“If an insect comes close to you, don’t swat at it, just stay calm and relax,” Baker said. “And skip wearing bright colored clothing, strong perfumes or lotions, because they are attracted to that.”
While eating outside, Baker said yellow jackets and other stinging insects are scavengers, who are drawn to sweet-smelling food, like fruits and soda drinks.
You might want to put a napkin on top of a drink when you’re not sipping.
“They can climb inside the can, and you’re not aware of it, and you drink your soda and get stung on the lips,” Baker warned.
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